Speed indicator



Feb. 20,1940. J. w. SLAYTON 2,191,045

" SPEED INDICATOR Filed July 11, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fohn W'Jlayton INVENTOR. y M;

A TTURNEYS.

Feb. 20, 1940. J. w. SLAYTON SPEED INDICATOR Filed July 11, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jbhn W5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 20, 1940. J. w. sLA'YToN SPEED INDICATOR Filed July 11, 1938 a Sheets-Sheet s John W'Jlqgon IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 20,

. appue'a'usasui n, musseliaise. zissos This invention relates to a speed indicator cie signed for use on motor vehicles, once! the obiects of the invention being to utilize, in connection withthe mechanism of a speedometer, a signal device in the form of a light located in the iield oi. vision of the driver without, however, interfering withlhis view 01' the roadand which vehicle lchangesirom one range of speeds .to

whetherhe is driving at an unlawful spieedfor at diflerent speeds thereunder. A further object-is to provide a device of ranges of speeds can be easily distinguishedby the driver without taking his eyes iromtlre road;

With theiioregoing and other obiects in view which will appear as the. description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully. described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. 1

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of. the

interior of a motor vehicle and showintthe present improvement mounted on the instrument board.

Figure 2 is an enlarged central vertical section through a portion of the instrument board.

and the indicator thereon.

Figure 3 is a face view of the translucent disk forming a part 01 the mechanism shown in Figure 2..

Figure 4 is a section on line H, Figure 2. Figure 5 is a central vertical section through a modified form of indicator.

Figure 6 is a central vertical section through another form: of indicator.

Figure 7 is a face view 'of the modified form of translucent disk forming a part of the structure shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a central vertical section through another modification.

Figure 9 is a face view of the translucent, disk used in the structure shown in Figure 8.

Mauie 10 is anagram oi' the circuit in the lamp oi the indicator canbejincluded. Referring to the figures by characters of refence l designates the housing ota speedometer oigthe usual or any preferred construc- 5 tion and "inthe form illustratedthe shaft 2 01 I 1 the hand orpointer '3 oi'ithe speedometer is proht changes in color as the speed of the vided with a geanfwhereby'mdtion is trans- H mittejd through a gear "6 to an upwardly extendanother so. that it is possibleior the driveizby observing" the color .of the light. to determine in'g-shait' secured to the centerfot a risk I. 19

A portion GI this 'disk extendsbetween a lamp as to deiiect'the light rays from the lamp and character which can be installed readily on the Disk 1 hash. band its lens toa'i'rosted lens I I or the like mounted. in a tubular extension i 2 projecting from the instrument board I! in which the casing i is mounted. A light' shield or hood I 4 extends outwardly from and partly around the lens Ii so that the surface of the lens will be shielded 20 from light from without the extension. i2. l5 formed of translucent material or, ii" desired, the entire disk can be.

meant dismi sal. The band is divided into segments'of dlil'erent sizes and colors arranged in any desired succession around the disk and each color being adapted to indicate a predetermined range'of speed oi. the vehicle.

When the vehicle isnot in motion and the speedometer is at rest, an opaque segment a of 80 the disk will be located between lamp 8 and lens I so that no light will be ?directed against the reflector M. This segment will remain in position between the lamp and lens during variations oispeed until the top speedfof a predetermined 86 range is reached, for example, twenty miles per hour at which time the next segment I), which can be amber incolor, will move into light intercepting position. Consequently as the disk rotates slowly during variations of speed in the 40 second range, this color will remain but as the speed is increased to above this second-range. the field oi. amber color will move away and the signal device will bring the next segment 0 into intercepting position with the result that a field d6 of blue light will appear on the lens II and will follow the amber light thereacross as long as the speeds in. the third range are being maintained. Followingthe appearance of the blue light on the lens and as the speed ofthe vehicle increases still more, the next segment d 01' the disk will come into intercepting position and will direct a red light to lens, i I. This red light will gradually spread over the lens following the blue and will serve as a warning to the driver that maximum lawful speed has been passed whenrall portions of lens II are red. Further increased speed will be indicated by radial lines e appearing on the red segment d, thereby serving as a warning to the driver that he is travelling at a dangerous speed well in excess of that allowed by law.

It will benoted that the extension l2 and hood H are located on the instrument board at a point where they will not obstruct the vision of the driver but nevertheless where the color appearing on the lens I l 'willbe clearly visible at all times and can be noticed by the driver without moving his eyes from the road.

The structure thus i'ardescribed is used in connection with a speedometer utilizing a hand or pointer movable on an upwardly inclined dial. If

the speedometer is provided with a rotating drum, as shown at IS in Figure 5 the disk I] carrying the colored segments, will be connected directly to the drum so as to rotate therewith, the marginal portion of the disk being extended between the lamp i8 andits'lens I. In other respects this structure operates the same as has already been described.

In Figure 6 the improvements have been shown 'in slightly modified form. In this structure it is not necessary to use gears 4 and 5 and shaft 8 as illustrated in Figure 2. Instead disk 20 is secured to and rotates with the indicator of the speedometer and has a conical marginal portion or band 2i divided into colored segments as heretofore described and so pitched as to extend between lamp22 and an inclined lens" so that the rays from the lamp will be projected directly to a frosted lens 24 ontheinstrument board, thus eliminating the use 01 a tubular extension such as shown at l2 in Figure 2. A furthermodification oi' the apparatus is disclosed in Figure 8 showing atstructure combining the features 01' the apparatus shown in Figures 2 and 6. In other words in this modified form a' disk 25 having a cylindrical translucent rim 2! is connected to the shaft 21 of the speedometer and is provided with translucent sections or segments forming the cylindrical band or rim 24 and lamp 28 and lens 29 so that the light rays followed by the translucent portions of band 28 will be projected to the reflector 30 and thence to the frosted 1 lens II. It might be stated that in this modified form of the device it is not necessary to use an indicating hand or indexbut the speed can be determined solely by the colors of the lights appearing on the lens 3i and, if desired, numerals may be associated with these colored portions. The same feature could also be'embodied in the other forms of the deviceqwhich have been described and shown. I a

In Figure 10 there has been shown in diagram one way in which the lamp 28 can be connected to the electric system of the vehicle. In this figure the ignition switch has been indicated at 32 and'the light switch has been indicated at 33. It will be noted that when the ignition switch is closed the connections to the lamp 8 or the like are completed so that the lamp will be energized.

When switch 33 is shifted for night driving the lamp! will remain lighted as will be apparent but as the current is thus compelled to pass through a resistance 34 the lamp 8 will be dimmed. Whatis claimed is: p

The combination with a speedometer includ ing a rotatable dial, of an indicator for signalling changes from one range of speeds to another a range 01 speeds, said indicator including a trans lucent lens, a lamp for directing light rays to the lens, a member rotatable with the speedometer dial and synchronized therewith, and translucent sections of diiierent colors carried by the member and designating different, speed ranges re-.

' JOHN WVSLAYTON. 

